49 Bible Verses about Waste

A few days later, the younger son gathered everything he owned and traveled to a distant country. There he wasted it all on wild living. After he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went out to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. read more.
No one would give him anything, even though he would gladly have filled himself with the husks the pigs were eating.

Precious treasures and oil are found where the wise live, but a foolish man devours them.

The man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father, but anyone who consorts with immoral women squanders his wealth.

Now Jesus was saying to the disciples, "A rich man had a servant manager who was accused of wasting his assets.

Now listen, you rich people! Cry and moan over the miseries that are overtaking you. Your riches are rotten, your clothes have been eaten by moths, your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be used as evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have stored up treasures in these last days. read more.
Look! The wages that you kept back from the workers who harvested your fields are shouting out against you, and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of the Heavenly Armies. You have lived in luxury and pleasure on earth. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the one who is righteous, even though he did not rebel against you.

For you spent enough time in the past doing what the gentiles like to do, living in sensuality, sinful desires, drunkenness, wild celebrations, drinking parties, and detestable idolatry. They insult you now because they are surprised that you are no longer joining them in the same excesses of wild living. They will give an account to the one who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

Now, children, listen to me. Don't turn away from what I am saying. Keep far away from her, and don't go near the entrance to her house, so that you don't give your honor to others, and waste your best years;read more.
so that strangers don't enrich themselves at your expense, and your work won't end up the possession of foreigners. You will cry out in anguish when your end comes, when your flesh and body are consumed, and you will say, "How I hated instruction, and my heart rejected correction! I did not obey my teachers and did not listen to my instructors. Now I am at the point of utter disaster in the assembly and in the congregation."

When they were completely satisfied, Jesus told his disciples, "Collect the pieces that are left over so that nothing is wasted." So they collected and filled twelve baskets full of pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

Those who cling to vain idols leave behind the gracious love that could have been theirs.

Jesus replied to the crowd, "The light is among you only for a short time. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. The person who walks in the darkness is in the darkness and does not know where he is going. As long as you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light." After Jesus had said this, he went away and hid from them.

Since, then, we are working with God, we plead with you not to accept God's grace in vain.

But now that you know God, or rather have been known by God, how can you turn back again to those powerless and bankrupt basic principles? Why do you want to become their slaves all over again? You are observing days, months, seasons, and years. I am afraid for you! I don't want my work for you to have been wasted!

For if we choose to go on sinning after we have learned the full truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but only a terrifying prospect of judgment and a raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who violates the Law of Moses dies without mercy "on the testimony of two or three witnesses." read more.
How much more severe a punishment do you think that person deserves who tramples on God's Son, treats as common the blood of the covenant by which it was sanctified, and insults the Spirit of grace?

It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than to know it and turn their backs on the holy commandment that was committed to them.

"Similarly, it is like a man going on a trip, who called his servants and turned his money over to them. To one man he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, based on their ability. Then he went on his trip. "The one who received five talents went out at once and invested them and earned five more. read more.
In the same way, the one who had two talents earned two more. But the one who received one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and buried his master's money. "After a long time, the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The one who had received five talents came up and brought five more talents. "Master,' he said, "you gave me five talents. See, I've earned five more talents.' "His master told him, "Well done, good and trustworthy servant! Since you've been trustworthy with a small amount, I'll put you in charge of a large amount. Come and share your master's joy!' "The one with two talents also came forward and said, "Master, you gave me two talents. See, I've earned two more talents. "Then the one who had received one talent came forward and said, "Master, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you haven't planted and gathering where you haven't scattered any seed. Since I was afraid, I went off and hid your talent in the ground. Here, take what's yours!' "His master answered him, "You evil and lazy servant! So you knew that I harvested where I haven't planted and gathered where I haven't scattered any seed? Then you should've invested my money with the bankers. When I returned, I would've received my money back with interest.' Then the master said, "Take the talent from him and give it to the man who has the ten talents, because to everyone who has something, more will be given, and he'll have more than enough. But from the person who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away from him. Throw this useless servant into the darkness outside! In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'"

So he said, "A prince went to a distant country to be appointed king and then to return. He called ten of his servants and gave them ten coins. He told them, "Invest this money until I come back.' But the citizens of his country hated him and sent a delegation to follow him and to announce, "We don't want this man to rule over us!'read more.
"After he was appointed king, the prince came back. He ordered the servants to whom he had given the money to be called so he could find out what they had earned by investing. The first servant came and said, "Sir, your coin has earned ten more coins.' The king told him, "Well done, good servant! Because you have been trustworthy in a very small thing, take charge of ten cities.' "The second servant came and said, "Your coin, sir, has earned five coins.' The king told him, "You take charge of five cities.' "Then the other servant came and said, "Sir, look! Here's your coin. I've kept it in a cloth for safekeeping because I was afraid of you. You are a hard man. You withdraw what you didn't deposit and harvest what you didn't plant.' The king told him, "I will judge you by your own words, you evil servant! You knew, did you, that I was a hard man, and that I withdraw what I didn't deposit and harvest what I didn't plant? Then why didn't you put my money in the bank? When I returned, I could have collected it with interest.' "So the king told those standing nearby, "Take the coin away from him and give it to the man who has the ten coins.' They answered him, "Sir, he already has ten coins!' "I tell you, to everyone who has something, more will be given, but from the person who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away. But as for these enemies of mine who didn't want me to be their king bring them here and slaughter them in my presence!'"

making the best use of your time because the times are evil.

I must do the work of the one who sent me while it is day. Night is approaching, when no one can work.

So then, whenever we have the opportunity, let's practice doing good to everyone, especially to the family of faith.

Behave wisely toward outsiders, making the best use of your time.

"Never give what is holy to dogs or throw your pearls before pigs. Otherwise, they will trample them with their feet and then turn around and attack you."

Whoever corrects a mocker invites only insult, and whoever rebukes the wicked will himself become stained.

Don't speak when a fool is listening, because he'll despise your wise words.

A person who isn't spiritual doesn't accept the things of God's Spirit, for they are nonsense to him. He can't understand them because they are spiritually evaluated.

One day, while Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau happened to come in from being outdoors, and he was feeling famished. Esau told Jacob, "Let me gobble down some of this red stuff, since I'm starving." (That's how Esau got his nickname "Edom".) But Jacob responded, "Sell me your birthright. Do it now."read more.
"Look! I'm about to die," Esau replied. "What good is this birthright to me?" But Jacob insisted, "Swear it by an oath right now." So he swore an oath to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau some of his food, along with some boiled stew. So Esau ate, drank, got up, and left, after having belittled his own birthright.

No one should be immoral or godless like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal.

When Delilah realized that he had disclosed everything to her, she sent for the Philistine officials and told them, "Hurry up and come here at once, because he has told me everything." So the Philistine officials went to her and brought their money with them. So she enticed him to fall asleep on her lap, called for a man to shave off his seven locks of hair from his head, and so began to humiliate him. Then his strength abandoned him. When she cried out, "The Philistines are attacking you, Samson!" he woke from his sleep and told himself, "I'll go out like I did at other times like this and shake myself free." But he didn't know that the LORD had abandoned him.read more.
Then the Philistines grabbed him, gouged out his eyes, brought him down to Gaza, tied him up in bronze chains, and made him grind grain in their prison.

David went to Saul and began to serve him. Saul loved him very much, and he became his armor bearer.

So David intoned this song of lament about Saul and his son Jonathan, and he gave orders to teach the descendants of Judah the art of warfare, as is recorded in the Book of Jashar: "Your beauty, Israel, lies slain on your high places! O, how the valiant have fallen!read more.
Don't make it known in Gath! Don't declare it in the avenues of Ashkelon! Otherwise, the daughters of Philistia will rejoice; and the daughters of the uncircumcised will triumph. Mountains of Gilboa, let no dew or rain fall on you, and may none of your fields be filled with plenty, because in that place the shield of the valiant ones was defiled, the shield of Saul without an anointing with oil. From the blood of the slain, from the blood of the valiant, Jonathan's bow would not retreat nor would Saul's sword return empty. Saul and Jonathan, loved and handsome in life, in death were not separated. Swifter than eagles they were, and more valiant than lions. Daughters of Israel, weep over Saul! He clothed you in scarlet luxury and decorated your garments with gold. How have the valiant fallen in the tumult of battle! Jonathan lies slain on your high places. I am in distress for you, my brother Jonathan. You have been most kind to me. Your love for me was extraordinary beyond love from women. How the valiant have fallen! How the weapons of war are destroyed!"

Then Judas, who had betrayed him, regretted what had happened when he saw that Jesus was condemned. He brought the 30 pieces of silver back to the high priests and elders, saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." But they replied, "What do we care? Attend to that yourself." Then he flung the pieces of silver into the sanctuary, went outside, ran away, and hanged himself.

While Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume and poured it on his head while he sat at the table. But when the disciples saw this, they became irritated and said, "Why this waste? read more.
Surely this perfume could've been sold for a high price and the money given to the destitute." But knowing this, Jesus asked them, "Why are you bothering the woman? She has done a beautiful thing for me. You'll always have the destitute with you, but you'll not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she was preparing me for burial. I tell all of you with certainty, wherever this gospel is proclaimed throughout the whole world, what she has done will also be told as a memorial to her."

While Jesus was in Bethany sitting at the table in the home of Simon the leper, a woman arrived with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume made from pure nard. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Irritated, some who were there asked one another, "Why was the perfume wasted like this? This perfume could have been sold for more than 300 denarii and the money given to the destitute." So they got extremely angry with her.read more.
But Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing for me, because you'll always have the destitute with you and can help them whenever you want, but you won't always have me. She has done what she could. She poured perfume on my body in preparation for my burial. I tell all of you with certainty, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told as a memorial to her."

Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived in Bethany, where Lazarus lived, the man whom Jesus had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a litron of very expensive perfume made of pure nard and anointed Jesus' feet. She wiped his feet with her hair, and the house became filled with the fragrance of the perfume.read more.
But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, who was going to betray him, asked, "Why wasn't this perfume sold for 300 denarii and the money given to the destitute?" He said this, not because he cared about the destitute, but because he was a thief. He was in charge of the moneybag and would steal what was put into it. Then Jesus said, "Leave her alone so she can observe the day of my burial, because you will always have the destitute with you, but you won't always have me."

So I'm a man who wears out like something rotten, like a garment that has become moth-eaten."

His flesh wastes away; his bones, which once couldn't be seen, are visible.

When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away by my groaning all day long.

Those who die by the sword are better off than those who die from starvation, who slowly waste away like those pierced through for lack of food from the fields.

That's why we are not discouraged. No, even if outwardly we are wearing out, inwardly we are being renewed each and every day.

Look, I'm in command of them,' declares the LORD, "and I'll bring them back to this city. They'll capture it and burn it with fire, and I'll turn the towns of Judah into desolate places without inhabitants.'"

I'll lay your cities to waste and destroy your sanctuaries so I don't have to smell the scent of your soothing odors. I'll make the land so desolate that your enemies who live in it will be astonished." "I'll scatter you among the nations and draw the sword after you so that your land becomes desolate and your towns become ruins.

then the priest is to have the woman commit to an oath by saying to the woman, "May the LORD make you a curse and a curse among your people. When the LORD makes your thigh waste away and your abdomen swell

The LORD will afflict you with tuberculosis, fever, inflammation, high fever, drought, blight, and mildew. These will attack you until you are completely destroyed.

The whole land will be covered with salt pits and burning sulfur, with nothing planted, nothing sprouting, and producing no vegetation overthrown like Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, when the LORD overthrew them in his raging fury.

Emaciated from famine, feverish from plague, and destroyed by bitterness, I'll send fanged beasts against them, along with poisonous snakes that glide through the dust.

He delivered them many times, but they demonstrated rebellion by their evil plans; therefore they sunk deep in their sins.

"Watch out! The LORD is about to depopulate the land and devastate it; he will turn it upside down and scatter its inhabitants.

Indeed, they'll need bread and water, but everyone will be panic-stricken as they waste away in their iniquity."

Ephraim will be desolate when it is rebuked. I have made known among the tribes of Israel what will surely come about.